Mterial for and method of protecting conduits



Jan. 17, 1933. E. P. BECKER MATERIAL FOR AND METHOD OF PROTECTING CONDUITS Filed May 19, 1930 Patented Jan. 17, 1933 EDXVARD P. BECKER, OF GRAND TOWER, ILLINOIS MATERIAL FOR AND METHOD. pejesomme GONDUITS Application filed May 1a, 1930, Saria1-,1*Io.;452,709. q

is buried'in the soil. fleretofore; this enamel was not protected in any way and it usually happenedthat where the conduit was laid in soil containing. an abrasive such as sand, small stones and the like, the enamel was cut through in certain portions exposing the metal'ofthe conduit to anyfacid or alkali action which might be present in the soil.

. By my method, however, the enamel j is protected so that it remains intact andlun- My invention relates to improvements in material for and method of protecting conduits and has for its primary object a material designed to be spirally wound about a conduit so as to protect the same while it is being laid in the ground.

A further object is to produce a material for protecting conduits which will resist the action of alkali when present in the soil.

A still further object is a material for protecting conduits which will prevent any scoring of the conduit while being laid in the ground by abrasive substances.

A still further object is the method of ap- 15 plying the protecting material in such a manner that it will snugly fit the conduit.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a fragment of conduit showing my material attached thereto and the method of ap scored. Frequently the: instruments usedin laying such condults also caused the protective coating or enamel to be broken. My pro tective coating also prevents this.

I After the strip of material has been formed, it is wound spirally around the pipe'or conduit' as indicated in Fig. 1 with the edges .in

close contact with each other, in other words;

the'edges abut each other. This is done by starting the winding by placing the diagonal end of a strip longitudinally of the conduit in a line parallel to the axis of the conduit and continuing the winding of said strip. The diagonal end of the next strip is then placed in abutment with the adjacent end of the first strip and the winding of the second strip continued. .Thus. the diagonal ends of adjacent strips continuously abut and serve as a guide or gage for the correct winding of the strips.

After a section of pipe has been thus covered, tie members 11 which may be either wire or other flexible material may be employed if desired. By reason of the spiral winding, a tight contact is maintained throu bout the length of the ipe and in ad numeral pfilrposepfusmg the dition to this, as the material slirinks, it binds stitching is to prevent t e tearing apart of tightly about the pipe; in other Words its ggg g g hgf ggiigg fi i figz 2 28 m aximum shrinkage is lengthwise of the strip prevents the spreading apart of the veneer therefore as f t the bmdmfi adjacent Such cracking sion around the pipe 1S increased so t at 1 T method f applying my material is as even loosely wound at the start, upon shrinkf 11 age the maternal willliug the condu1t closer, 9 represents the conduit such as generally the Stitching 7 W111 PW Q the mammal used for pip lin w t i t S h from rupturing when strain 1S set up due to conduit is usually provided with a protective shrmkagecoating or enamel 10 which is alkali and acid My p rpo e in cutting the ends diagonally I proof so that it will not be effected by either on the sheets of veneer 1S that as herembefore alkali or acid conditions when the conduit set forth, the same creates a gage for the 100 533 plying it.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental plan view of a portion of my material and,

Fig. 3 is a section taken on Fig. 1. I 555 In the construction of my material 4 represents a sheet of veneer having parallel edges 5 and 6. This veneer is made in the usual manner, that is by soaking the log and then cutting off a strip of material therefrom and while the material is still in a moistened condition, rows of stitching 7 are passed through the material parallel to the edges 5 and 6 and substantially at right angles to the grain of the material. The veneer 4 may be made of 35 any desired width. The ends of each strip of veneer are cut oif at angle as indicated the line 33 of spiral winding or Wrapping of the sheet around the conduit.

It is to be understood, of course, that the veneer or material can be wrapped around 5 the conduits either by hand or by machinery and that the covering can be applied either at the plant or in the field.

It is my opinion that the machine wrapping will be preferable for the reason that a more uniform tension on the covering can be maintained during the wrapping than when done by hand. The specific means of applying the protecting material, however, is optional with the user, so therefore, I do not desire to limit myself to either the specific hand or machine method of applying this material. 1

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is The combination with a conduit, of a covering comprising a strip of wood veneer of substantially uniform width throughout and whose grain extends laterally of the length of the strip, and the ends of the strip termi- 5 mating in diagonal lines, whereby a pair of said strips may be wound spirally about and in contact with said conduit, with the diagonal ends of the adjoining strips in abutment and without overlapping and in a line parallel to the axis of the conduit, and fastening means at longitudinally spaced intervals for securing the covering to said conduit thereat, said conduit and covering being free of secur'ement except at said fastening means.

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*2 In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

EDWARD P. BECKER. 

